Paul B. Janeczko’s stirring new collection of poems goes inside the walls of the notorious camp to portray the indomitable spirit of those incarcerated there.

Hitler hailed Terezín (Theresienstadt) as a haven for artistic Jews, when in reality the Czech concentration camp was little more than a way station to the gas chambers. In his second book inspired by devastating history, acclaimed poet Paul B. Janeczko gives voice to this heartrending creative community: its dignity, resilience, and commitment to art and music in the face of great brutality. The many memorable characters he conjures include a child who performs in the camp’s now famed production of Brundibár, a man who lectures on bedbugs, and a boy known as "Professor," who keeps a notebook hidden in his shoe. Accented with dramatic illustrations by prisoners, found after WW II, Janeczko’s spare and powerful poems convey Terezín’s tragic legacy on an intimate, profoundly moving scale.

What I Think:

Paul Janeczko has written such a haunting book of poetry. It is as if he transported himself to Terezin and lived the life of these people who he has created to tell us the story of the ghetto. Combined with the all too real artwork from Jewish artists from Terezin, Requiem is a brilliant collection of poetry.

This is one of those books that is really hard to review. There is anything negative to say and it is hard to portray through the review what the book contains.

Read Together: Grades 8 to 12

Read Alone: Grades 9 to 12

Read With: Once by Morris Gleitzman, Terezin: Voices from the Holocaust by Ruth Thompson, Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys, Parallel Journeys by Eleanor H. Ayer, Briar Rose by Jane Yolen

Writing Prompts: Why did the Nazis allow the Jews at the Terrezin Concentration Camp to write, make art and play music?; How did the Nazis trick the Red Cross inspectors into thinking Terezin was a good place?; Why do we need to learn about the Holocaust and places like Terezin?